Floor surfacing machine



Dec. 2, 1958 A. s. SWANSON ET AL 2,862,224

FLOOR SURFACING MACHINE Filed Oct. 20. 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 j i I64/67Ill s3, 56 m 63 EEHIF m2 .l I

F 5' ,4 INVENTOR.

33A ALBERT S. S MANSON By b'ARL/E J [Gums/us Arroruzr;

United States Patent FLOOR SURFACING MACHINE Albert S. Swanson and Harlie J. Kimmerle, Minneapolis,

Minn., assignors to G. H. Tennant Company, Minneapolis, Minn., a Corporation of Minnesota Application October 20, 1955, Serial No. 541,559

Claims. (Cl. 15-328) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in floor surfacing machines adapted for the refinishing, polishing and sweeping of floors and the like, of the type illustrated in Patent No. 2,568,699, issued September25,1951. 1 i

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and useful floor surfacing machine which may readily be used for abrading, scarifying, cleaning, polishing and/ or waxing various type floor surfaces.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a floor surfacing machine having a construction of versatility, maximum efliciency, economy and ease of operation.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of a floor surfacing machine having new and useful flexible skirt means for controlling the flow of air to the machine, yet which skirt means readily allows the travel of the machine over obstacles or obstructions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a floor sweeping machine having new and eflicient mean's for the control of steel wool or other residue from a scarifying or abrading brush and for preventing the build-up or ac cumulation of particles, wax, dirt, etc. within the machine housing.

Still a further object of the invention is the provision of a floor sweeping machine which may be utilized efliciently for either wet or dry sweeping or polishing, and which has means for controlling the flow of dust generated by the sweeping or surfacing.

Still a further object of the invention'is to provide a floor sweeping machin'e having a new and useful means for transfer of a polishing composition to the brush and thence tothe floor surface.

Still a further object of the invention resides in the provision of a new and useful bafile means for the brush supporting hubs for prevention of dust accumulation therein.

Other and further objects of the invention reside in the specific structural features and still others are those apparent and inherent in the apparatus as described, pictured and claimed.

To the accomplishment'of the foregoing and related ends, this invention then comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

This invention will now be described with reference to the drawings in which corresponding numerals refer to the same parts and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the instant invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view;

Figure 3 is a side elevation, partially broken away;

Figure 4 is a plan view taken in the direction of the arrows 44 of Figure 3. In Figure 4 the magnetic element of the machine is removed.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along the Figures 1,

Patented Dec. 2, 1958 'ice line and in the direction of the arrows 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 5A is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing in detail the means for attaching the flexible skirt to the housing;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 66 of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is an angular fragmentary sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 7-7 of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is an angular sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 8-8 of Figure 6;

Figure 9 is a bottom plan view of the wax bar holder of Figures 1-6;

Figure 10 is a sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 10-40 of Figure 9;

Figure 11 is an elevational view of one of the brush supporting hubs of the instant invention; and

Figure 12 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line andin the direction of the arrows 1212 of Figme 11.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to 3 and 4,there is shown a floor surfacing machine, generally designated 15 including a housing 16 supported upon wheels 17, and provided with a rotating drum like element generally designated 18, such as a bristle brush drum 18B as shown in Figure 5 or the steel wool drum 183 as shown in Figure 6. The housing 16 comprises a peripheral flange 19 of the configuration shown in Figure 4 and internal or partition flanges 20, 21 and 22; flange 22 cooperating with the peripheral flange 19 to form a brush compartment 23, flanges 20 and 21 defining a square aperture 25 in which fan housing 26 is positioned, and defining compartments 27 and 28 in which the wheels 17 are positioned.

Each of the wheels 17 is journalled for rotation to the flange 19 and one of the wheels, in this instance, the top wheel with reference to Figure 4, is a leveller wheel. Thus, the leveller wheel is provided with the adjustment support 31, which being bolted to flange 19 may be pivoted about bolt 31A. In so doing the axle bolt 3113 will pivot within an arcuate or oversize slot in flange 19. While being adjusted, of course, bolt 31B is loosened and when the machine is levelled, bolt 31B is again tightened,

As shown in Figure 1, the housing 16 is provided with an upwardly directed and off-set extension 32 forming an intake housing for directing air into scroll fan housing 33 which is connected to a bag 34 provided with a closure clip 35 secured to a spring 36 in turn secured to a hook on the handle assembly 37. A motor 38 is mounted upon the housing 16 and through a double end shaft 40 drives both the drum 18 and the fan disposed in housing 33, not shown.

The handle assembly 37 includes a handle 40 provided with a pair of grips 41, and a pair of tubular members 42 and 43 through one of which 42, an electric cord 39 passes, emerging axially through the pivoted handle support 44 for member 42, cord 39 being connected to motor cord 45 for supplying electricity to the motor. A switch 46 is provided in the handle 40 for turning the flow of current to the motor on or ofi. A second pivoted handle support 44A is provided for member 43.

Each of the handle supports 44 and 44A is pivoted to an integral upending lug 47 on the housing 16 as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

As stated previously, the motor 38 serves to drive both the fan (not shown) and the pulley 48, shown best in Figure 3. The fan is disposed as to draw air through the bottom of the housing and into inlet extension 32 in the direction of the arrows 48 shown in Figure 5, and

thence through the axial inlet 51 of scroll housing 33, from whence it is expelled through the tangential outlet 33A and into the dust collecting bag 34. The dust collecting bag '34 is secured to the outlet 33A by any suitable means, usually outlet 33A being provided with an outwardly turned flange and the bag 34 having a resilient neck or a collar clamp. Members 32 and 51 areimaintained in juxtaposition by a collar clamp 49, as shown in Figures 1 and 5.

The motor turns the pulley 48 through shaft 40 which through belt 53 drives the pulley -54 of shaft 55 which in turn drives hub 56 for the drum 18.

As will be noted by reference to Figure 3, a belt guard 57 is provided enclosing the belt 53 and secured to the housing 16 by suitable screws or other suitable means.

The guard is of the configuration and takes the'position shown in Figure 3 and cooperates with the housing 16 and motor 38 substantially to preclude accidental entanglement with or injury to the belt and associated pulley mechanism.

An idler pulley 58 is journalled to arm 61 in turn pivoted to a lug on housing 16 and a spring 62 connected to the arm 61 and to the housing 16 as shown in Figure 3, serves to bias the pulley 58 into engagement with the belt 53 so as to serve as a belt tightener. This pulley and spring are likewise located within the guard 57.

Hub 56 is keyed to the shaft 55 as is the pulley 54, and rotates therewith, the shaft 55 being journalled for rotation through bearing bosses on flange 19.

The hub 56 is of the configuration shown in Figure 4, is provided with a central end boss 63 through which shaft 55 penetrates and a set screw or other suitable means is provided for retaining the hub thereon.

The hub 56 .is provided with a flange 64 identical with flange 64 of the hub 65 as shown in Figure 12. This flange provides a circular shoulder which cooperates with a wear plate 66 as subsequently explained for an identic wear plate 66 for hub 65.

A pair of studs 67 is provided for axial alignment on hub 56 for engaging a recess or open end slot at one end of the drum cylinder 18A for driving the drum as subsequently explained, and the other end of the drum cylinder is supported on hub 65.

Hub 65 is similar to hub 56 but is a driven hub rather than a drive hub and is not provided with a central boss 63. It is provided with the peripheral flange 64 forming a circular shoulder. This flange 64 cooperates with wear plate 66 as follows. The plate 66 is provided with a peripheral wall engaging flange 68 joined to an inclined annular portion 71 provided with right-angle annular portion 72 and a second wall engaging flange 73. The flange 68 and adjoining portions of annular portion 71 is provided with a plurality of depressed areas 74 through which the wear plate 66 is secured to its adjoining wall by fastenings 74A. In Figure 11 the fastening is made to the wall of the end cover 75. However, as will be appreciated with reference to Figure 4, the wear plate 66 for hub 56 is similarly secured to the plate formed by the side Wall of the housing and the cooperating portion of the flange 19.

As will be appreciated with reference to Figure 12, the flange 68 and inclined portion 73 are annular but terminate at edge 76 thus allowing the hubs to be positioned as close as possible to the bottom of the housing 16, yet providing throughout the majority of the periphery thereof a labyrinthine baflie to preclude the entrance of any dirt and debris into the hub itself.

Hub 65 is journalled on the integral spindle 77 for the cover plate 75 by a suitable bearing and maintained in position thereon by a retaining ring engaging reduced end 78.

The end cover 75 is of the configuration shown best in Figure 11 and is provided with a lug 81 adapted to receive the shank of screw 82 as shown in Figure 4. The housing 16 is open at end 79 and end cover 75 completes the closure.

The other end of the cover 75 is supported by an L- shaped retainer 80 secured to housing portion 79, the turned end 80A of which is engaged by the inset recess 80B formed in the bottom lefthand corner of the cover 75 with reference to Figure 11. Thus, when it is desired to remove the end cover 75, the thumb screw 82 is loosened and the cover pivoted downwardly or clockwise with reference to Figure 11 whereupon the offset portion 8813 may be lifted outofengagement'with turned end 80A. To position the end cover in place, the process is reversed.

A plurality of clips 83A is positioned on flange 19 as shown in Figure 4 and a second plurality of clips 83 is positioned on flange 22. Clips 83 are secured by bolts to flange 22 and clips 83A are likewise secured by bolts to flange 19 but in the'latter instance the bolts are provided with the stud heads 84.

Clips 83A and 83 serve to support the flexible removable liner 87 in position extending around the drum 18 when in position as shown in Figure 6 and extending the width of the machine. As will be appreciated, when it is desired to insert or remove the liner 87 it is flexed and one end positioned in or disengaged from the clips 83 or 83A and the other end successively positioned in or disengaged therefrom for insertion or removal.

Cooperating with'stud heads 84 for the front clips 83A are snap fasteners 85, carried by a flexible skirt 88 shown best in Figure 2. Skirt 88 is provided with a plurality of vertical slits forming segments 91, the slits terminating in elongated apertures 92. The skirt is of resilient or flexible material, usually rubber, and provides a reasonably tight closure with the floor surface being swept, yet the segm'ents'91 may flex to allow obstacles to pass under the machine. The apertures 92 allow for the entrance of air to provide a'controlled pattern of air flow for efficient dust control in cooperation with the fan housing 33.

Positioned in front of the machine 15 as shown in Figures l and 3 is va magnetic element, generally designated 92A, supported by end brackets 93 screwed to the housing 16, the end brackets 93 having screws passed therethrough, the screws in turn being positioned in elongated slot in hangers 94, the hangers 94 supporting the elongated magnet housing 95.

The elongated magnet housing serves to support magnet means for collecting steel wool particles and other similar debris by magnetic attraction and thus prevents the entrance of any debris into the housing 16, and collects any steel wool particles torn loose when a steel wool drum is being used.

The supporting structure for wax bar 101 will now be explained. The wax bar .101 is supported by hangers 97 journalled in flanges 22A and 22B which cooperate with flange 19 to support shafts 96. One shaft 96 .is pressed or otherwise suitably secured in cooperating axially aligned apertures in flange portion 22A and flange 19, and one in flange portion 22B and flange 19. Each one of the shafts 97 is also provided with a coil spring 98 having one end thereof engaging the hanger 97 and the other end thereof engaging a portion on the housing such as the bottom of turned portions 22A and 22B for biasing the hangers 97 in a counterclockwise position with reference to Figure 5 so that the wax bar holder 100 is urged so that the wax bar 101 is brought into engagement with the drum 18 as shown in Figure 5.

The hangers 97 are connected to and support the ends of the wax bar holder 100 comprising a channel member having short slightly inturned flanges 102 which cooperate With the undented sidewalls shape of the wax bar 101 as shown in Figure 5 for retaining it therein. As will be seen with reference to Figure 5, the wax bar is an elongated bar having a central depression extending the length thereof which depression is to be engaged by the spring fingers 103 each secured to the center portion104 of the wax bar holder 100 providing a resilient bias for maintaining the wax bar in position as shown in Figure 5.

As will be appreciated with reference to Figures 5, 9 and 10, the wax bar when inserted,- withdrawn or replaced, will'be slid axially into the holder 100 through the open end of the housing formed by the removal of end cover 75 and will depress the spring fingers 103 thus providing secure resilient engagement for the bar between fingers 103 and the T-ends of the bar with the flanges 102.

' The wax bar holder 103 is provided with a pair of cooperating lugs 104 positioned adjacent the center thereof to which is pivoted a control rod 105. As shown best in Figure 6, rod 105 is provided with a flattened head 106 which is engaged by a spring 107 the other end of which is engaged by the bottom of a cylinder 110 having a head 111, threaded or otherwise secured thereto and provided with a handle 112. Thus, the cylinder 110 provides an enlarged resiliently connected portion for the shaft 105.

The fan housing 26 is provided with a wax bar retaining plate 114 secured thereto as shown in Figure 6 and having a flange 115 provided with an aperture having a reduced slot portion 116 and an enlarged portion 117.

As will be seen with reference to Figure 6, when the wax bar is retained in retracted position the bottom of the cylinder 110 serves to engage the flange 115 and the rod 105 is positioned in the slot 116. When it is desired to move the wax bar 101 into the engaging position of Figure 5, the handle 112 is grasped and pulled to compress the spring 107 and thus remove the cylinder 110 from engagement with flange 105 from whence the handle may be moved in a direction to position the cylinder 110 in aperture 117 and it will pass therethrough thus permitting the springs 98 to position the wax bar 101 into engagement with the periphery of the drum 18. When it is desired to again retract the wax bar the operation is reversed.

The drum 18 may be a steel wool roll 18S, as shown in Fig. 6, a rotary wire brush, a fiber brush 18B as shown in Fig. 5, etc. When the machine is being used for steel wooling, wire brushing or mere sweeping or abrading of a floor surface, the wax bar 101 will usually be in the retracted position of Figure 6. When the machine is being used for wet polishing, bufling, etc.--where there is no problem of dust control but there is the problem of accumulation of dirt debris and residue within the housing 16, the cylindrical wrap 87 is positioned as shown in Figure 6. When it is desired to apply polish from the wax bar 101 by means of the drum 18 in polishing, etc., the wax bar 101 is in the engaged position of Figure 5 and the wrap 87 is removed. The wrap is likewise always removed whencontrol of dust laden air is sought.

As will be seen best with reference to Figures 5 and 6, the orifice to the brush or drum chamber formed by the housing and the end cover plate, which orifice is provided by extension 32, is positioned so as to be bisected or split by the wax bar 101 and the wax bar is supported by hangers 97 so that dust laden air may pass around both sides of the drum 108. The flow of air will accordingly be split by the wax bar 101 whether it is in the engaged or retracted position and will pass in the direction of the arrows 48 without impediment and obstruction thereof as would be encountered if the wax bar were positioned at the top of the orifice or at the bottom of the orifice.

As many widely differing embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that the specific embodiments described are given by way of example only and the invention is limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

What is claimed:

1. In combination with a floor finishing-and polishing,

machine including a supporting frame, a polishing drum, a motor for driving said drum, and a hood for enclos= ing the polishing drum, means for waxing the periphery of said drum when the machine is in operation comprising a wax bar holder elongated in the direction of the axis of said polishing drum and extending substantially the extension thereof, said wax bar holder being opened at at least one end and providing a channel opening in the direction of the periphery of said drum and having convergingly extending flanges, said channel being provided with resilient means for retaining a wax bar therein, said holder being provided with a pair of parallel arms, one of each of which is connected thereto adjacent each end thereof, said arms being pivoted to said housing and each having a spring means for biasing said arms to bring said wax into communication with said drum pe riphery, a lug means connected to said wax bar holder at substantially the midpoint thereof, a retaining rod pivoted thereto, said retaining rod having a flattened head and a coil spring therearound, one end of which engages said flattened head, a cylindrical means having an inturned flange positioned on said rod, said inturned flange being adapted to be engaged by the other end of said coil spring, said cylindrical member having an operator engageable handle, lug means positioned on said housing including a key-hole shaped aperture whereby said cylindrical member may pass through the enlarged portion of said aperture but restricted from passing therethrough by the narrow portion of said aperture.

2. A floor maintenance machine comprising an open bottomed housing having a closed top and downwardly depending walls, wheels on the housing located so that it may be traversed in a work direction over a floor, said housing including a shaft journaled on the housing parallel to the floor and normal to the work direction, means on the shaft for detachably mounting thereon a cylindrical-shaped floor maintenance device for driven rotation with the shaft, suction fan on the exterior of the housing and having its inlet connected to a suction opening in the housing for inducing a suction in the housing, a motor on the exterior of the housing and connected to the fan and to the drive shaft for rotating both of them, and a flexible dependent skirt on at least a portion of the housing wall, said skirt being slitted upwardly through a portion of its vertical heighth so that the lower portion of the skirt is composed of a plurality of independent fingers, and apertures through the skirt at a vertical elevation above its lower portion and located so as to be intersected by said slits.

3. The floor maintenance machine of claim 2 further characterized in that said skirt is removably attached to the housing.

4. A floor maintenance machine comprising an open bottomed housing having a closed top and downwardly depending walls including front and back walls shaped so as to have straight lower edges spaced from each other and parallel, upwardly directed slots along said straight lower edges in the housing space, wheels on the housing located so that it may be traversed in a work direction over a floor, said housing including a shaft journaled on the housing parallel to the floor and normal to the work direction, means on the shaft for detachably mounting thereon a cylindrical-shaped floor maintenance device for driven rotation with the shaft, suction fan on the exterior of the housing and having its inlet connected to a suction opening in the housing for inducing a suction in the housing, a motor on the exterior of the housing and connected to the fan and to the drive shaft for rotating both of them, and a shield composed of a single piece of flexible self-supporting material and having parallel edges, said shield being arcuately flexed to form a partial cylindrical shape, said shield being positioned within the housing with its edges directed downwardly and detachably secured in said slots along the straight lower edges -of said front and back walls to form an enclosing arch over the eylindricalfloor maintenance device separating itfr om the suction opening.

, 5. In arfloor surfacing machine having a rotary surfacing drum rotatable within a housing, the improvement of a flexible protective shield vpositioned throu-ghout the axial length of said drum and throughout a major portion of the upper circumferential periphery thereof, said shield comprising a planar sheet of flexible material flexed to said position and having downwardly directed terminal edges in said position, a plurality of clips on the inside of said housingfor engaging said downwardly directed edges of said shield for maintaining it in position, said housing having a leading edge as the surfacing machine is moved over the supporting surface, a flexible skirt removably attached to theleading edge of said housing by aplurality of snap elements and means positioned on said leading edge of said housing for supporting said clips thereon thereon and providing a plurality of protuberances forming a part of said snap elements.

References Cited in theme of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No, 2,862,224 December 2, 1958 Albert S. Swanson et al..

in the printed specification It is hereby certified that error appears on and that the said Letters of the above numbered patent requiring correcti Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4, line '71, for "undented" read indented column 6,

line 18, after "wax" insert bar (SEAL) Attest:

KARL H. AXLINE Attesting Officer ROBERT C. WATSON Commissioner of: Patents 

